'My opinion' - Matt O'Riley sent this telling message to Brighton shortly before Napoli bid was confirmed

Brighton have received a bid of around £25m for their midfielder Matt O'Riley from Serie A champions Napoli.

The Denmark international joined the Seagulls for £25m from Celtic last summer but struggled in his first season in the Premier League.

O'Riley sustained a nasty ankle injury just minutes into his debut and was then hindered with form and fitness issues throughout the campaign

Fabian Hurzeler mainly preferred Georginio Rutter in the No 10 role which often left O'Riley sidelined, or playing out of position.

Matt O’Riley ‘not completely happy’ at Brighton

The midfielder has complained about his role in the team and has also been linked with Everton, Atalanta and Roma.

“I am not completely happy, and I am just giving my opinion,” he said recently to Danish media.

"It makes it difficult to show off when you play a position you are not completely happy with.

"I can play better for the team if I play the number 8 position, but I can play well in other positions.

“You can say it in a way that is not aggressive. If you are honest with another person, you don’t lose anything.

“The coach can always say he doesn’t agree.”

Antonio Conte's Serie A champions Napoli now seem to be leading the chase. Last summer Brighton sold former Chelsea midfielder Billy Gilmour to Napoli for around £15m.

They recently signed Kevin De Bruyne on a free transfer following his exit exit from Manchester City, while former Manchester United midfielder Scott McTominay has excelled at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium and helped them to the Serie A title last term.

Brighton are believed to be open to offers for O’Riley, who is contracted with the Seagulls until June 2029.

The 24-year-old made 24 appearances for Albion last term, with two goals and three assists.

Verdict

It would seem a shame if Brighton and O’Riley parted company so soon. Albion fans have not seen the goalscoring midfielder at his best but a move could be the best solution for all parties.

Hurzeler clearly prefers Georginio Rutter in the No 10 role and O’Riley will be keen to avoid another season spent largely on the bench.

Napoli’s strong opening bid would see Brighton make back their money on a player who arrived with much excitement but featured sporadically.

Napoli have made their decisive move but Brighton may just wait to see how serious the interest from Everton, Atlanta and Roma is.

Atlanta tried to sign O’Riley last summer before his move to Brighton. Atalanta’s ex-coach Gian Piero Gasperini is now at Roma and remains an admirer of the Albion ace. Acording to Gazzetta, Roma started talks with Brighton last week.

Multiple bids could push up the price further and as we have seen in the past, Brighton don’t like to let players go without making a few quid first.

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